The electric vehicle industry is asking the government for more incentives in order to speed up the adoption of EV automobiles for public and private use in the country, officials said on Tuesday.
EVs are exempted from higher excise taxes under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), however this is not enough to spur demand in the sunrise industry, said Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) president Rommel Juan in a briefing.
“It’s a fledgling industry…We hope government can give incentives so we can launch EVs in the country to get us ready of impending power crisis because high oil prices…Because I think EV is a big solution for that,” he said.
What was given under the TRAIN Law is a welcome development but the industry is seeking more fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to finally get EVs off the ground, said EVAP official.
“Under the TRAIN Law, EVs were exempted from the higher excise tax. But that is not enough. We’re asking for tax and duty free importation and also non-fiscal. But what is more important is the fiscal incentives to the Philippine EV industry can take off,” Juan said.
The group wanted some non-fiscal perks such as free parking in the malls, exemption from coding and a green lane for registration in the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Vice president at Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., Renato Lampano, said government is a critical part of creating awareness in the use of EVs and hybrid vehicles, as well as the addressing of carbon emissions.
“When government decides to slash duties, excise tax…that is when market will be interested,” he said.
The vehicle manufacturing company is working the government to stir interest in EVs and hybrids; the company donated 10 hybrid vehicles which were distributed to the offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, together with Department of Trade and Industry and Office of the President.
“When volume starts to grow considerably, that’s the time we may impose duties and consider manufacturing. But we have to increase domestic base. For the time being, we need to campaign for a lower price for EVs to capture the market,” Lampano said.
The 6th Philippine Vehicle Summit was theme “Stepping Up Partnerships To Electrify Public and Private Transport” to aid the push for EV adoption. The summit will focus on areas of collaboration to drive wider electric vehicles adoption for public and private use.
“Adoption of electric cars in the Philippines for own use and for private commercial transport use (i.e. taxis) is inevitable but the government and the private sector need to collaborate to put in place a clear policy, timeframe and infrastructure to grow the sector,” Juan said.
PHOTO FROM EVAP
